THE 2019 BRUNTWOOD PRIZE FOR PLAYWRITING

The Young Vic, London

Did you know the 21st of January was Blue Monday?

As I made my way to catch the 11.15 am train to London yesterday, I was stopped by a lovely man from Samaritans who told me all about the most depressing day of the year and gave me a free tea bag to turn my Blue Monday into a Brew Monday which did make me smile. When I got to London, my colleagues and I decided to hop in a black cab to the Young Vic as it was where the 2019 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting’s Launch Event we had organised was to be held. Do you know how much the taxi fare cost? Nada. Thanks to a mortgage company whose name escapes me at the moment, we were treated to a free taxi ride which made me smile even more!

I had never been to the Young Vic before and was surprised to find out that Danai Gurira’s The Convert (ends 26th Jan), starring Letitia Wright, is on there. Anyway, there was little to no chance of me bumping into her because I was busy helping set up The Clare studio for the Bruntwood Prize launch event. If you’ve never heard of this biennial competition before, it is one where anyone aged 16+ in the UK, Ireland and British territories can submit a new play they’ve written to be in the chance of winning part of the £40,000 fund. If this has piqued your interest, I urge you to get writing as the deadline is 5th June.